Note 1.  Basis of Presentation

 

The interim consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by Wilhelmina International, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, "Wilhelmina" or the "Company") without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  Although certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations, all adjustments considered necessary in order to make the consolidated financial statements not misleading have been included. In the opinion of the Company’s management, the accompanying interim unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, of a normal recurring nature, that are necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations and comprehensive loss, statements of shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the periods presented. These interim unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. Certain prior year amounts on the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. Results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim periods or the full fiscal year.

 

 

Note 2.  Business

 

The primary business of Wilhelmina is fashion model management. These business operations are headquartered in New York City. The Company’s predecessor was founded in 1967 by Wilhelmina Cooper, a renowned fashion model, and became one of the oldest, best known and largest fashion model management companies in the world. Since its founding, Wilhelmina has grown to include operations located in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and London, as well as a network of licensees in various local markets in the U.S. and internationally. Wilhelmina provides traditional, full-service fashion model and talent management services, specializing in the representation and management of models, entertainers, artists, athletes and other talent, to various clients, including retailers, designers, advertising agencies, print and electronic media and catalog companies.

 

COVID-19 Pandemic

 

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic, which has spread rapidly throughout the United States and the world. The Company’s revenues are heavily dependent on the level of economic activity in the United States and the United Kingdom, particularly in the fashion, advertising and publishing industries, all of which have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and may not recover as quickly as other sectors of the economy. There have been mandates from federal, state, and local authorities requiring forced closures of non-essential businesses. As a result, beginning in March 2020, the Company has seen a significant reduction in customer bookings, resulting in a negative impact to revenue and earnings.

 

In addition to reduced revenue, business operations have been adversely affected by reductions in productivity, limitations on the ability of customers to make timely payments, disruptions in talents’ ability to travel to needed locations, and supply chain disruptions impeding clothing or footwear wardrobe from reaching destinations for photoshoots and other bookings. Many of the Company’s customers are large retail and fashion companies which have had to close stores in the United States and internationally due to orders from local authorities to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Some of these customers may be unable to pay amounts already owed to the Company, resulting in increased future bad debt expense. These customers also may not emerge from the pandemic with the financial capability, or need, to purchase Wilhelmina’s services to the extent that they did in previous years. Some of our model talent are currently quarantined with family far from the major cities where Wilhelmina’s offices are located, and also away from where most modeling jobs take place. Many U.S. and international airlines have decreased their flight schedules which, once economic activities resume and clients increase booking requests, may make it difficult for our talent to be available when and where they are needed. While these disruptions are currently expected to be temporary, there is uncertainty around the duration.

 

Postponed and cancelled bookings related to the pandemic contributed significantly to reduced revenues and increased operating losses during the first quarter of 2020. Subsequent periods may show similar or greater declines until business conditions improve. Since Wilhelmina extends customary payment terms to its clients, even when bookings resume there is likely to be a lag before significant cash collections return. In the meantime, the Company will continue to have significant employee, office rent, and other expenses.

 

 

Reduced outstanding accounts receivable available as collateral under the Company’s credit agreement with Amegy Bank has limited access to additional financing. Net losses in recent periods have also impacted compliance with the financial covenants under the Amegy Bank credit agreement, further impeding the Company’s ability to obtain additional financing.. Since the pandemic began, many stock markets, including Nasdaq Capital Market, where Wilhelmina’s common stock is listed, have been volatile. A further decline in the Company’s stock price would reduce our market capitalization and could require additional goodwill or intangible asset impairment writedowns.

 

The Company has taken the following actions to address the impact of COVID-19 and the current recessionary environment, in order to efficiently manage the business and maintain adequate liquidity and maximum flexibility:

 

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In April 2020, obtained $1.9 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”).

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Temporarily furloughed five employees based in Wilhelmina’s London office.

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Eliminated all discretionary travel and entertainment expenses.

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Suspended share repurchases.

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Made plans not to extend the lease on one New York City model apartment when the current term ends in June, 2020.

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Suspended efforts to fill two highly compensated executive roles following the resignation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Vice President in early 2020.

 

If the current quarantines and limitations on non-essential work persist for an extended period, the Company may need to implement more significant cost savings measures.

 

Note 3.  New Accounting Standards

 

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”) which amends the FASB’s prior guidance on the impairment of financial instruments. The ASU adds to GAAP an impairment model (known as the “current expected credit loss model”) that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. ASU 2016-13 becomes effective for the Company for annual reporting periods ending after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of ASU 2016-13 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position and its consolidated financial statements.

 

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-03 “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment” (“ASU 2017-03”) effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The ASU requires only a one-step qualitative impairment test, whereby a goodwill impairment loss will be measured as the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value. It eliminates Step 2 of the prior two-step goodwill impairment test, under which a goodwill impairment loss was measured by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. The adoption of ASU No. 2017-03 did not have a material impact on the results of the Company’s goodwill impairment testing procedures.

 

In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-19, “Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses”  (“ASU 2018-19”), which clarifies that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the credit losses standard, but rather, should be accounted for in accordance with the lease standard. ASU 2018-19 became effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of ASU 2018-19 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position and its consolidated financial statements.

 

 

Note 4.  Foreign Currency Translation

 

The functional currency of our subsidiary in the United Kingdom is the British Pound. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at each balance sheet date, revenues and expenses are translated at average monthly exchange rates, and resulting translation gains or losses are accumulated in other comprehensive income as a separate component of shareholders’ equity.

 

 

Note 5.  Debt

 

The Company has a credit agreement with Amegy Bank which provides a $4.0 million revolving line of credit and previously provided up to a $3.0 million term loan which could be drawn through October 24, 2016. Amounts outstanding under the term loan reduce the availability under the revolving line of credit. The revolving line of credit is also subject to a borrowing base derived from 80% of eligible accounts receivable (as defined) and the Company’s minimum net worth covenant of $20.0 million. The revolving line of credit bears interest at prime plus 0.50% payable monthly. As of March 31, 2020, the Company had a $0.2 million irrevocable standby letter of credit outstanding under the revolving line of credit and had additional borrowing capacity of $2.0 million.

 

On August 16, 2016, the Company drew $2.7 million of the term loan and used the proceeds to fund the purchase of shares of its common stock in a private transaction. The term loan bears interest at 4.5% per annum and payable in monthly payments of interest only until November, 2016, followed by 47 equal monthly payments of principal and interest computed on a 60-month amortization schedule and a final payment of principal and interest due on October 24, 2020.

 

On July 16, 2018, the Company amended its Credit Agreement with Amegy Bank to provide for an additional term loan of up to $1.0 million that could be drawn by the Company through July 12, 2019, for the purpose of repurchases of its common stock. The additional term loan is evidenced by a promissory note bearing interest at 5.15% per annum and payable in monthly installments of interest only through July 12, 2019. Thereafter, the note is payable in monthly installments sufficient to fully amortize the outstanding principal balance in 60 months with the balance of principal and accrued interest due on July 12, 2023. The amendment also revised the calculation of the fixed charge coverage ratio for the three quarters following the maturity date of the previous term loan.

 

 

Amounts outstanding under the additional term loan further reduce the availability under the Company’s revolving line of credit with Amegy Bank. On August 1, 2018, the Company drew $0.7 million of the additional term loan and used the proceeds to fund the purchase of 100,000 shares of its common stock in a private transaction. On December 12, 2018, the Company drew $0.3 million of the additional term loan and used the proceeds to partially fund a purchase of 50,000 shares of its common stock in a private transaction. As of March 31, 2020, a total of $1.8 million was outstanding on the two term loans.

 

Reduced outstanding accounts receivable available as collateral under the Company’s credit agreement with Amegy Bank has limited access to additional financing. Net losses in recent periods have also impacted compliance with the financial covenants under the Amegy Bank credit agreement, further impeding the Company’s ability to obtain additional financing. On March 26, 2020, the Company entered into a Thirteenth Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Thirteenth Amendment”) with ZB, N.A. dba Amegy Bank. The Thirteenth Amendment amended the minimum net worth covenant to require the Company to maintain tangible net worth (as defined therein) of $4.0 million, determined on a quarterly basis. Under the Thirteenth Amendment, Amegy Bank also waived an existing default caused by the Company’s failure to satisfy the old minimum net worth covenant as of December 31, 2019. On May 12, 2020, the Company entered into a Fourteenth Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Fourteenth Amendment”) with ZB, N.A. dba Amegy Bank. The Fourteenth Amendment amended the line of credit to reduce the maximum borrowing capacity to $3.0 million. Under the Fourteenth Amendment, Amegy Bank also waived an existing default caused by the Company’s failure to satisfy both the minimum fixed charge coverage ratio through March 31, 2020 and minimum tangible net worth as of March 31, 2020. Current economic conditions make it likely that the Company will require additional waivers in subsequent periods of 2020.

 

 

Note 6.  Commitments and Contingencies

 

On October 24, 2013, a putative class action lawsuit was brought against the Company by former Wilhelmina model Alex Shanklin and others, including Louisa Raske, Carina Vretman, Grecia Palomares and Michelle Griffin Trotter (the “Shanklin Litigation”), in New York State Supreme Court (New York County) by the same lead counsel who represented plaintiffs in a prior, now-dismissed action brought by Louisa Raske (the “Raske Litigation”).  The claims in the Shanklin Litigation initially included breach of contract and unjust enrichment allegations arising out of matters similar to the Raske Litigation, such as the handling and reporting of funds on behalf of models and the use of model images.  Other parties named as defendants in the Shanklin Litigation include other model management companies, advertising firms, and certain advertisers.  On January 6, 2014, the Company moved to dismiss the Amended Complaint in the Shanklin Litigation for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and other grounds, and other defendants also filed motions to dismiss.  On August 11, 2014, the court denied the motion to dismiss as to Wilhelmina and other of the model management defendants.  Separately, on March 3, 2014, the judge assigned to the Shanklin Litigation wrote the Office of the New York Attorney General bringing the case to its attention, generally describing the claims asserted therein against the model management defendants, and stating that the case “may involve matters in the public interest.” The judge’s letter also enclosed a copy of his decision in the Raske Litigation, which dismissed that case. 

 

Plaintiffs retained substitute counsel, who filed a Second and then Third Amended Complaint. Plaintiffs’ Third Amended Complaint asserts causes of action for alleged breaches of the plaintiffs' management contracts with the defendants, conversion, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and unjust enrichment.  The Third Amended Complaint also alleges that the plaintiff models were at all relevant times employees, and not independent contractors, of the model management defendants, and that defendants violated the New York Labor Law in several respects, including, among other things, by allegedly failing to pay the models the minimum wages and overtime pay required thereunder, not maintaining accurate payroll records, and not providing plaintiffs with full explanations of how their wages and deductions therefrom were computed.  The Third Amended Complaint seeks certification of the action as a class action, damages in an amount to be determined at trial, plus interest, costs, attorneys’ fees, and such other relief as the court deems proper.  On October 6, 2015, Wilhelmina filed a motion to dismiss as to most of the plaintiffs’ claims.  The Court entered a decision granting in part and denying in part Wilhelmina’s motion to dismiss on May 26, 2017.  The Court (i) dismissed three of the five New York Labor Law causes of action, along with the conversion, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing and unjust enrichment causes of action, in their entirety, and (ii) permitted only the breach of contract causes of action, and some plaintiffs’ remaining two New York Labor Law causes of action to continue, within a limited time frame.  The plaintiffs and Wilhelmina each appealed, and the decision was affirmed on May 24, 2018. On August 16, 2017, Wilhelmina timely filed its Answer to the Third Amended Complaint.

 

On June 6, 2016, another putative class action lawsuit was brought against the Company by former Wilhelmina model Shawn Pressley and others, including Roberta Little (the “Pressley Litigation”), in New York State Supreme Court (New York County) by the same counsel representing the plaintiffs in the Shanklin Litigation, and asserting identical, although more recent, claims as those in the Shanklin Litigation.  The Amended Complaint, asserting essentially the same types of claims as in the Shanklin action, was filed on August 16, 2017.  Wilhelmina filed a motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint on September 29, 2017, which was granted in part and denied in part on May 10, 2018.  Some New York Labor Law and contract claims remain in the case.  Pressley has withdrawn from the case, leaving Roberta Little as the sole remaining named plaintiff in the Pressley Litigation.  On July 12, 2019, the Company filed its Answer and Counterclaim against Little.

 

 

On May 1, 2019, the Plaintiffs in the Shanklin Litigation (except Raske) and the Pressley Litigation filed motions for class certification on their contract claims and the remaining New York Labor Law Claims. On July 12, 2019, Wilhelmina filed its opposition to the motions for class certification and filed a cross-motion for summary judgment against Shanklin, Vretman, Palomares, Trotter and Little, and a motion for summary judgment against Raske.  Wilhelmina’s reply papers in further support of its summary judgment motions were filed on October 23, 2019. The motions for class certification and summary judgment were argued on December 4, 2019, and the parties are awaiting decision.  

 

The Company believes the claims asserted in the Shanklin and Pressley Litigations are without merit and intends to continue to vigorously defend the actions.

 

In addition to the legal proceedings disclosed herein, the Company is also engaged in various legal proceedings that are routine in nature and incidental to its business. None of these routine proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, are believed likely, in the Company's opinion, to have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial position or its results of operations.

 

 

Note 7. Income Taxes

 

Generally, the Company’s combined effective tax rate is high relative to reported net income as a result of certain amortization expense, stock based compensation, and corporate overhead not being deductible and income being attributable to certain states in which it operates. In recent years, the majority of taxes being paid by the Company were state and foreign taxes, not federal U.S. taxes. The Company operates in four states which have relatively high tax rates: California, New York, Illinois, and Florida. Realization of net operating loss carryforwards, foreign tax credits, and other deferred tax temporary differences are contingent upon future taxable earnings. The Company’s deferred tax assets were reviewed for expected utilization by assessing the available positive and negative factors surrounding its recoverability, including projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will not be realized. As of March 31, 2020, due primarily to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our business, the Company believes it is more likely than not that the benefit from deferred tax assets will not be realized. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company recorded a $1.2 valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets and released a $0.3 million valuation allowance on other deferred tax assets relating to the forfeiture of stock options held by the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer. At March 31, 2020, the Company maintained a $1.2 million valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets. The Company will continue to assess the assumptions used to determine the amount of our valuation allowance and may adjust the valuation allowance in future periods based on changes in assumptions of estimated future income and other factors.

 

 

Note 8. Treasury Stock

 

During 2012, the Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program whereby the Company could repurchase up to 500,000 shares of its outstanding common stock. During 2013, the Board of Directors renewed and extended the Company’s share repurchase authority to enable it to repurchase up to an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of common stock. In 2016, the Board of Directors increased by an additional 500,000 shares the number of shares of the Company’s common stock that may be repurchased under its stock repurchase program to an aggregate of 1,500,000 shares. The shares may be repurchased from time to time in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions at prices the Company deems appropriate. The program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of common stock and may be modified or suspended at any time at the Company’s discretion.

 

From 2012 through March 31, 2020, the Company has repurchased 1,314,694 shares of common stock at an average price of approximately $4.85 per share, for a total of approximately $6.4 million in repurchases under the stock repurchase program. During the first three months of 2020, 4,833 shares were repurchased under the stock repurchase program for approximately $20 thousand. The repurchase of an additional 185,306 shares is presently authorized under the stock repurchase program. Due to COVID-19, the Company has temporarily suspended further share repurchases to preserve liquidity.

 

 

Note 9.  Related Parties

 

The Executive Chairman of the Company, Mark E. Schwarz, is also the chairman, chief executive officer and portfolio manager of Newcastle Capital Management, L.P. (“NCM”). NCM is the general partner of Newcastle Partners L.P. (“Newcastle”), which is the largest shareholder of the Company. James Dvorak (Managing Director at NCM) also serves as a director of the Company.

 

The Company’s corporate headquarters are located at 200 Crescent Court, Suite 1400, Dallas, Texas 75201, which are also the offices of NCM. The Company occupies a portion of NCM space on a month-to-month basis at $2.5 thousand per month, pursuant to a services agreement entered into between the parties. Pursuant to the services agreement, the Company receives the use of NCM’s facilities and equipment and accounting, legal and administrative services from employees of NCM. The Company incurred expenses pursuant to the services agreement totaling approximately $8 thousand for the three months ended both March 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company did not owe NCM any amounts under the services agreement as of March 31, 2020.

 

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Note 10.  Goodwill

 

In March 2020, the Company determined that recent declines in revenue, COVID-19 impacts on our retail clients, and declines in its stock price triggered the requirement for goodwill impairment testing. The results of the impairment test indicated that the carrying value of goodwill exceeded its estimated fair value. As a result, during March 2020, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.8 million related to its goodwill. Further declines in the Company’s stock price could result in additional goodwill impairment charges.

 

No asset impairment charges were incurred during the first quarter of 2019.